Counterfeit and smuggled consumer goods worth $3.5 million seized across Americas and Caribbean.
An Interpol-backed crackdown on counterfeit and smuggled consumer goods across the Americas and Caribbean has resulted in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of potentially dangerous items. Operation Maya III saw law enforcement agencies in Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama carry out a series of raids and inspections on markets, shops and at borders. In total, investigators participating in the effort, which took place back in April, confiscated some 746,000 items estimated to be worth around $3.5 million. The operation also resulted in the identification of 150 individuals and 65 companies suspected of being involved in the sale and distribution of smuggled and counterfeit consumer items. As part of the crackdown, law enforcement agents in Cuba seized 8,000 contraceptive pills that were destined for Venezuela, while their counterparts in the Dominican Republic impounded 1,700 units of suspected adulterated alcohol that is believed to have been smuggled into the country from Haiti.
Lear MoreCustoms officials seize smuggled cigarettes worth Rs 55 lakh.
SURAT: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs officials seized imported cigarettes to the tune of Rs55 lakh at Surat railway station on Thursday. DRI and Customs officials had received information about the smuggled cigarettes that had been brought into the city in Howrah-Ahmedabad Express train. The consignment of the cigarettes was kept in the coach reserved for angadia parcels. The officials checked the entire train under the supervision of Customs superintendent Ghanshyam Soni. The cigarettes were brought to the Diamond City in boxes and were to be supplied to Asif Shaikh, official sources said. An officer said, “We have seized the consignment of smuggled cigarettes. We could not find the person who brought the consignment. However, it was found that the consignment was to be delivered to Asif Shaikh in Surat. Investigations are on to find out the real owner of the consignment.”
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Police Seize 5,000 Pieces of Counterfeit Products.
The Directorate of Interpol and International Relations has in a joint operation intercepted 5,000 pieces of counterfeit products. Acting Director Interpol and International Relations, SCP Benson Oyo-Nyeko told the media at Interpol headquarters Kololo on Thursday that the two-day operation codenamed ‘FAGIA COPSON IV’ was carried out in Kampala Metropolitan Area starting on Wednesday. Oyo-Nyeko revealed that counterfeit items including; hardware products, cosmetics, beverages, electronics and petroleum products seized among others had been seized. Oyo-Nyeko said counterfeit products pose a huge danger to the population and the country at large as they affect both the economy as well as the health of final consumers. He noted that there are huge amounts of such products in the open market. He, however, assured the public on the fight against counterfeit. “I wish to state our commitment to ensuring that brands are protected and the safety of consumers guaranteed. It’s an offense to produce such products,” Oyo-Nyeko said.
https://kampalapost.com/index.php/news/police-seize-5000-pieces-counterfeit-products
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Busted: How a New Jersey Woman Smuggled Airline Parts Into Iran.
A New Jersey woman faces up to five years in prison for her role in a scheme to smuggle airline parts illegally into Iran. Joyce Eliabachu pleaded guilty on Tuesday to playing a pivotal role in smuggling over $2,000,000 in airline parts to desperate Iranian airlines. As tensions between the USA and Iran have soured and sanctions have been re-introduced, Iranian airlines are once again starved for spare parts for their aging fleets. Boeing and Airbus deals to Iran Air and other Iranian carriers have been blocked, meaning older aircrafts must be kept airworthy. Eliabachu ran the operation from her Morristown home, about 30 minutes west of Newark International Airport. Parts were first shipped to Turkey, then to the United Abab Emirates, and finally to Iran. Between 2015-2017, 49 shipments containing 23,554 license-controlled aircraft parts reached Iran. Her co-conspirator, Peyman Amiri Larijani, faces money laundering and conspiracy charges.
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2019/06/12/iran-air-smuggling/
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Smuggled cigarettes worth Rs1 crore seized from godown in Mumbai.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 60 smuggled cartons of cigarettes of foreign brands worth Rs 1 crore from the godown of a courier firm in south Mumbai on Tuesday and arrested its owner. The DRI officers raided the godown, located at Chira Bazar on Monday and found 29 bags containing the cartons, which had 6.73 lakh cigarette sticks. The accused, Bipin Kumar Singh, was then arrested on Tuesday. According to the DRI, the smuggled cigarettes are sold for overpriced rates in Indian market. During interrogation, Singh told the DRI officers that he had received the cargo from a businessman in Delhi. Singh has been sent into judicial custody by a local court. The DRI officers are finding out how the cigarettes were smuggled to India by the Delhi trader. “Some cartons were to be delivered in Hyderabad, while some others in Mumbai. The bags were marked accordingly. The bags were sent to Mumbai from train. It did not contain a bill or an invoice,” an officer from DRI said.
Lear MoreMen arrested by Delhi airports customs for smuggling mobiles worth Rs. 63 Lakh
Aman has been arrested by Customs officials at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle mobile phones, including iPhones, worth Rs 63 lakh into the country. A man has been arrested by Customs officials at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle mobile phones, including iPhones, worth Rs. 63 lakh into the country.
The accused was intercepted after his arrival from Guangzhou in China on Tuesday. His flight was via Colombo.His baggage and personal search resulted in the recovery of 204 illegally imported mobile phones of different brands such as iPhones of Apple, Samsung, Sony, BlackBerry, a statement issued Monday by Customs department said.
https://www.ndtv.com/topic/smuggling
Lear MoreSmuggling of gold: Chennai airport officer & four others held.
CHENNAI: Officials of the the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) busted a gold smuggling syndicate at the Chennai international airport on Saturday and arrested five people, including a senior customs officer. Though the names of the officer and the other accused have not been revealed, sources said the officer was of the rank of a superintendent. The crackdown led to a seizure of 23kg of gold worth 7.825 crore. In a communication issued on Sunday, DRI said that on Saturday they apprehended four passengers, who had arrived at Anna International Airport from Singapore and Malaysia, with 12.95kg of gold bars. The delinquent officer, who was waiting to receive the gold from them on behalf of a Chennai receiver, and who was planning to allow the passengers go undetected, was also apprehended. The DRI’s follow-up search at the receiver’s residence and that of a near-relative resulted in seizure of further 10.2kg of smuggled gold and 24.43 lakh in cash. Later, while searching a grey-market shop owned by the receiver, officers of DRI recovered 48 drones (restricted for import) valued at about Rs 23 lakhs, and several high-end cameras and accessories. The passengers intercepted at the airport were also carrying high-value cameras and accessories.
Lear MoreIllicit Liquor worth Rs. 1.1 crore seized in Mathura
In an intensive drive, the Mathura police seized illicit liquor worth over Rs. 1.1 crore from interstate gangs that were trying to smuggle it in various vehicles including an ambulance, the city police chief said Friday. Senior police officer Satyarth Aniruddha Pankaj said the seizures were made over a period of 16 hours. “The liquor was being smuggled using different type of vehicles including by ambulance by eight interstate smugglers,” he said. He said the biggest haul of 1,198 boxes, valued at Rs. 50 lakh, was recovered Friday from four interstate smugglers, during checking at Kotban border under Kosi Kalan police station. An SUV, a truck (both bearing number plates), an ambulance and a car without number plates were also recovered, he said. Mr Pankaj said the police attached to Shergarh/Chatta police station recovered 950 bags of Indian liquor without label valued at Rs. 40 lakh from a truck being escorted by an SUV from Patel Chowk Friday afternoon. Police recovered 350 boxes of illicit liquor worth Rs. 20 lakh from Yamuna Expressway while being smuggled in a truck and a car by two interstate smugglers.
https://www.ndtv.com/cities/illicit-liquor-worth-rs-1-1-crore-seized-in-mathura-police-2049863
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Authorities probe dirty tactics in counterfeit laundry detergent scheme
Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into allegations of an ongoing counterfeit laundry detergent scheme. A Channel 13 TV report said tax authorities were probing allegations that up to 66 tons of Ariel detergent sold to Israeli consumers over the last year were actually an inexpensive and possibly hazardous product imported from Turkey.
Lear MoreAmazon Give Power to Brands to Eliminate Fake Goods from Website
In order to eliminate fake and counterfeit listing, Amazon will hand over direct powers to brands to remove frauds from and improve the shopping experience. Companies will be able to directly remove fake listings, under the company’s new Project Zero programme .Introduction of an additional tool dubbed “product serialization” allows them even greater control. Manufacturers can now assign unique serial numbers to every product they sell and require Amazon to scan those serial numbers and check authenticity on every sale. Besides the two new features, Amazon claims overall improvement in automatic detection of counterfeits. The e-commerce giant says that its machine learning-powered tools now “proactively stop 100 times more suspected counterfeit products as compared to what we reactively remove based on reports from brands”.
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